An undertaker (hereinafter referred to as album service providing undertaker) is available which provides a service for providing an album on a network, that is, a service of storing image data of still pictures, moving pictures and so forth picked up by a user using an image pickup apparatus into a database through a network to the user. An outline of the service is described with reference to FIG. 1.
A personal computer 1 for use by a user is connected to a server 2 of an album service providing undertaker through the Internet 3.
Image data picked up by the user using an image pickup apparatus (not shown) are recorded onto a recording medium. The personal computer 1 fetches the image data from, for example, the recording medium. Further, the personal computer 1 establishes a connection to the Internet 3 and fetches image data from an information providing server not shown or the like.
The personal computer 1 can access the server 2 of the album service providing undertaker through the Internet 3 and store the image data fetched by such a method as described above into a database of the server 2. Further, the personal computer 1 can read or erase the image data stored in the database of the server 2 or transmit them as annexed data to an electric mail to another user. Further, the user can download, when necessary, desired image data from the database of the server 2 to the personal computer 1.
However, there is a subject that, when image data picked up by an image pickup apparatus are uploaded to the server 2 and when image data stored in the database are downloaded, the user is obliged to designate object images one by one to upload or download them one by one, and as a result, much time is required.
Further, there is another subject that, since operation of a personal computer is complicated, a user unfamiliar to a method of use of a personal computer cannot easily enjoy provision of the service.